This year’s Bury St Edmunds Festival will have a “lively mix” of attractions to suit everyone’s needs, the event’s organisers have said.

East Anglian Daily Times: Bury Busk.Bury Busk. (Image: Contributed)

It celebrates its 30th year with an “inspirational” programme of entertainment mixing old and new from Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 24.

Tickets are available from March 2 for this year’s festival, which combines top international performers with opportunities for local people to get involved.

Festival manager Nick Wells has looked back to the event’s origins as a weekend of ‘Words and Music’ for this year’s theme, bringing together pairings of words, music, film, dance, art and juggling that he said would “surprise and delight” audiences.

Local singers get the chance to perform in a 200-strong choir with Global Folk – the successor to the popular Mbawula township chorus – while West Suffolk Youth Jazz Orchestra and Bury Busk provide a stage for talented local musicians.

Regional artists will be showcasing their work in a new Bury Art Trail, while new guided walks will entice visitors to discover hidden corners of the historic market town.

Based at the Apex, festival events will also take place at a range of venues including the Theatre Royal, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, St Mary’s Church, the Unitarian Meeting House, the Hunter Club, Abbeygate Cinema and Smiths Row.

Mr Wells said: “It’s fantastic that Bury St Edmunds Festival is celebrating its 30th year and has grown to become one of East Anglia’s best-loved arts events. This year’s programme promises the usual lively mix of arts events that makes the festival special for so many people.”

Highlights include a high-energy opening night of Cuban grooves with acclaimed violinist Omar Puente and his band at the Apex, with a salsa workshop beforehand. Bury Bach Choir will put on a rare performance of Britten’s huge War Requiem together with the North London Chorus, St Edmundsbury Cathedral Boys’ Choir and two orchestras.

The festival brochure is widely available or can be viewed online at www.buryfestival.co.uk. For tickets call 01284 758000 or, alternatively, visit www.buryfestival.co.uk

For more information on festivals in Suffolk this summer, see our guide here